do you make your own popcorn from scratch?

[starwood]

I use the brown paper bag method. I just fold the bag over and microwave for about 2 minutes 15 seconds. It is so much cheaper than buying the bags of popcorn.

 

[hsmamato2]

You can make it in a brown paper lunch bag. Add about 1/4 cup of popcorn, a bit of salt, and fold the bag over at the top. Place it in the microwave. Press the popcorn button, and you're good to go. Just make sure to keep an eye on it.

that's what I do....you can add butter or salt or whatever but if you're on a diet...it's awesome!

 

[Parksfamily5]

I decided to get away from the microwave popcorn due to the chemicals and stuff that was in it. I bought the Chris Freytag Stir Crazy 6 Quart Corn Popper from QVC. We love it. I have definitely got our monies worth from it. My 8 yr old dd loves popcorn and eats it almost daily. We just air pop it and sometimes add a little salt and she loves it. Much better for her.
As for seasonings. They have some by the popcorn in the store but they are really loaded with sodium and other stuff. However, if you buy these there are coupons out there for them. If you google popcorn flavor recipes you can get some really good ones using spices and stuff that you probably already have on hand.

 

[taximomfor4]

I have a question for anyone who makes popcorn on a flat top/smooth top stove. Since you have to shake the popcorn while it is cooking, does this ruin/scratch the top of your stove???

Santa got me an air popper for Christmas, but I have been thinking about returning it and making my popcorn on the stovetop, but don't want to ruin the stove.

Thanks.
Jenny

I pick my pan up a couple of inches, give it a shake shake shake, set it back down, and do this the whole time. The oil is hot enough that lifting it for a few seconds and putting it right back down doesn't cool it off. Not as easy as sliding it back and forth on the burner, but it does work. That said, I use my air popper most of the time so I don't have to do ANY shaking, lol. Only problem is, melting butter then pouring it on to the air-popped popcorn gets it soggy. So I think it turns out better in a pan.

 

[vegas_mickey]

We use an air popper now and my kids love it. We just add some butter and salt and let movie night begin I will add spices and stuff depending on the mood I am in, mrs. Dash is good. When I was a kid growing up we did it on the stove with oil and as I got older I started experimenting with putting spices and stuff in with the oil and popcorn so it flavored the popcorn as it popped. Yummy and you can make something new every time.

 

[Worfiedoodles]

We switched to making it on the stove due to my dh's high cholesterol. We use olive oil to cook it, and we love it! It is so good, I refuse to eat the microwave stuff now. It just doesn't taste right to me. I add a little salt, no butter, and we're good to go!

I got a Stir Crazy for Christmas but haven't tried it yet. I hope I like it as much as everyone else!

Maria

 

[KiKi Mouse]

I never buy microwave popcorn because it is really bad for you.

Over the years I have had a hot air popper, one of those stove top pots you have to stir, and we just bought a Westbend Stir Crazy popper that has the bowl/lid.

The stove top works great but the handle can get hot and with little kids around I stopped using it.

The Stir Crazy requires a bit of oil to use. We've only used it twice so I don't have much of an opinion yet. So far it seems good.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

I only use a teaspoon of oil in mine as opposed to an entire tablespoon. Works great!

I never buy microwave popcorn because it is really bad for you.

Over the years I have had a hot air popper, one of those stove top pots you have to stir, and we just bought a Westbend Stir Crazy popper that has the bowl/lid.

The stove top works great but the handle can get hot and with little kids around I stopped using it.

The Stir Crazy requires a bit of oil to use. We've only used it twice so I don't have much of an opinion yet. So far it seems good.

 

[gillenkl]

I usually cover the bottom of the pot with the oil, let it get warm, and add some fresh-ground sea salt, toss in two test kernels, and once they've popped, I add enough popcorn to cover the bottom of the pot. One full layer of kernels usually is enough to fill the pot with a few 'old maids.'

Thanks! I tried your method tonight and it worked great!

 

[Rantybaby]

I always make stove top popcorn. We love it!

I just moved, now have an electric stove. I keep burning it. WHY?

 

[taximomfor4]

I just moved, now have an electric stove. I keep burning it. WHY?

I have never had anything but electric stoves. The only times I burn the popcorn are when I don't keep shaking the pan, or when I have the burner on too high (On my current stove, between Med and Med-High is all that's needed). HTH some!

 

[Rantybaby]

I have never had anything but electric stoves. The only times I burn the popcorn are when I don't keep shaking the pan, or when I have the burner on too high (On my current stove, between Med and Med-High is all that's needed). HTH some!

Thanks taximomfor4- I do stop shaking to microwaving my butter.

My brother & I used to call our mom's car "Mom's Taxi". We even found a yellow bumper sticker we put on the glove compartment and added a yellow piggy bank for our friends as a fare box!

 

[bas71873]

I haven't read through all the replies, but my mom gave me a whirley pop from Crate & Barrel LAST Christmas (2009) and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. My daddy and I will only eat white popcorn and thankfully, we can find white popcorn kernals at Kroger, so I always stock up. Best present EVER

 

[mousehouselover]

I have made stove top popcorn for several years now. I can hardly stand the microwave stuff anymore. I use a thick bottomed Revereware stock pot. I have a smooth cooktop and lift it a bit before shaking. The flavored toppings are pretty good but I find they don't always stick to the kernels. I'll have to try some of the things other's have done and see how well they work for me.

 

[Mama Mouse]

I am a popcorn lover and, given the choice, I'll pop mine in a pan on the stove over microwave any day. It's so much yummier. Here's what I do.

First, get yellow popcorn kernals. White is okay but not as big and fluffy or tasty.

Melt some STICK margarine (or butter) in the bottom of the pan on very high heat. (This will NOT WORK with tub butter.) I turn mine all the way up. For a full pan of popcorn, I use up to about 1/3 of a stick but try to do less. (Obviously more is yummier but not so good for you.) When that's melted, I pour in the amount of popcorn I want and immediately put on an airtight lid. Give it a shake to coat the kernals with the margarine. Keep the heat on as high as it will go.

Stay right with it, giving it a shake back and forth frequently. As it begins popping, I shake it continuously for the first several seconds of popping.

When it's done, I pour it into a large bowl and salt immediately. Then let it sit for about a minute. This gives it time to get that great crisp (and not smashed, squashy) texture.

Anyhow, that's my "method" if you could call it that but it's much yummier than microwave popcorn, it doesn't get all soggy and nasty by pouring melted butter, not to mention you JUST use butter, not oil.

 

[dfchelbay]

In an attempt to save a little $ grocery money I decided to buy a bag of popcorn kernels and pop my own. My kids eat a bag of microwave popcorn everyday so it's starting to add up. I don't have an air popper yet but I'm on the lookout for one on sale. In the meantime I am using my pan on the stove but it doesn't really taste as good as microwave popcorn. Any hints to stovetop popcorn popping?

My local Dollar Tree sells Orville Redinbacher microwave popcorn. You get 5 bags for a dollar. That's cheaper than grocery store for sure.

 

[fakereadhed]

Can't wait to try the paper bag trick in the microwave!

Air poppers are easy to find new in the box at yard sales.

 

[hinodis]

I just sent DH to make popcorn the "old fashioned" way. Its the only way we make it.

 

[shellspb]

I would never use microwave popcorn, it doesn't taste the same. Okay, so get a large frying pan with a lid that fits it. Pour in about 1/4 cup of corn oil, let it heat up, then pour in just enough popcorn to almost cover the bottom of the pan. When it starts to sizzle, put the lid on and turn it down a little, then move the pan back and forth, hold onto the lid, and you will hear the popcorn start popping. If you use too much it will start to raise the lid and popcorn will fall out. This only takes about 3 mins. and you've got a huge bowl of popcorn. First put on the salt, toss it and then pour on the melted butter and toss again. HEAVEN

 

[julirina]

Melt some STICK margarine (or butter) in the bottom of the pan on very high heat. (This will NOT WORK with tub butter.) I turn mine all the way up. For a full pan of popcorn, I use up to about 1/3 of a stick but try to do less. (Obviously more is yummier but not so good for you.) When that's melted, I pour in the amount of popcorn I want and immediately put on an airtight lid. Give it a shake to coat the kernals with the margarine. Keep the heat on as high as it will go.

I tried this last night -- epic fail. I used real butter. I didn't think it would work but I figured it was worth a shot -- but nope. Burnt nasty popcorn. I think you'd have to use margarine for this. In order for the butter to get hot enough to pop the corn, it's burning off the milk solids. Since margarine is just flavored oil, it can tolerate the necessary heat, but as I feared, butter is NOT a good option.